The White Queen
by Pliva
Summary: The Master refuses to accompany the Doctor onto a new planet, but gets preoccupied after a little disaster onboard the TARDIS. Three days later, he realizes the Doctor never returned. Warning:torture. Implied Master/Doctor


**Done for LJ's mjls for her prompt "Doctor Who. Master/Doctor. The Doctor gets hurt somehow." There is still one spot open, if anyone wants a fic/icon. Link to my LJ on my profile.**

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The Master took one look at the white planet and dug in his heels. "No."

"Don't be like that. We have to find that part for the TARDIS. Snow won't hurt you, anyway," the Doctor replied, strolling out ahead of him.

The Master raised an eyebrow and pointed at the snow as it slowly drifted to the ground. "It's freezing."

"Wear a jacket," the Doctor said, straightening his own long coat smugly.

The Master shut the door in his face.

After making himself some tea and poking around the console, the Master decided to look around the back and see what was in the forgotten reaches of the TARDIS, just to so the Doctor would have to run around finding him when he returned. It was in the TARDIS's darkest corners, where the Master discovered a few odd pieces of machinery that might fix the TARDIS's tendency to ignore their navigating, when he noticed a small black something with long teeth leering at him. The Master quickly jumped up and, when the thing leaped at him while snapping it's jaws, he kicked it. It sailed into the wall and dropped to the ground where it lay still. The Master checked it over and turned around when he was satisfied it was dead. Twenty more somethings melted out of the shadows, whistling dangerous hisses at the Master as he stood over their murdered comrade.

"Ah," the Master said, tightly gripping his laser screwdriver. "Right."

It turned out there was an infestation. The Master dodged the malicious little things for three days before he discovered all it took was a little sodium for them to shrivel up. The Master was nursing the bite he had received (bloody little thing dropped from the ceiling when he was trying to contact the Doctor through his sonic) when he realized the Doctor hasn't returned yet. The Master checked the console and saw the Doctor never replied to his message. The Master frowned and dug out his own coat and the spare piece of psychic paper the Doctor didn't know he had.

The Master stepped outside the TARDIS, pleased to see that it had at least stopped snowing and breathed in deeply. He turned and headed northwest, quickly coming upon a little city.

A kingdom, the Master found as he asked around, and the odd man that had come through three days ago was arrested for staring improperly at the Queen. The Master rolled his eyes and wormed is way into the palace.

Standing in front of the Queen, he realized why the Doctor had been staring and probably frowning in disapproval. The Queen's headdress was broadcasting hypnotic beams urging obedience and submission.

"Your majesty," the Master said, dropping his own eyes at the appropriate moment and bowing. "I have come as you summoned me."

"Summoned you?" the Queen asked, her eyes sharp before they lit up. "Oh! You're here to deal with the stranger."

"Indeed," the Master agreed, straightening up. "May I begin?"

"You don't wait," the Queen said, slowly standing and waving away her guards. "You may do well here. Follow."

"Thank you, your majesty," the Master murmured as she led him out of the throne room and down into the depths of the castle. Instead of the stone walls and dark corridors the Master was expecting, the Queen lead him through clean white hallways. She paused in front of a metal door and keyed in a code before it slid open and he followed her inside.

"He's in there," the Queen said, flicking a switch on the console against the wall. Through a window the Master could see a room flood with light. The Doctor, his hands pinned to the table near his head and his legs curled inward, flinched awake. He stared at the glass with a resigned look in his eyes, tainted by the briefest flashes of fear. The Master frowned as he took in the Doctor's pale face. His coat and tie had been removed, leaving him in only his blue trousers and thin white shirt and a thick black collar around his neck.

"He looks human, your majesty," the Master finally said.

The Queen smirked and handed him a bio-read out. "Looks, yes. But he has two heats and a high psychic ability."

"Psychic?" the Master asked absently mindedly, wondering if the queen merely had all psychics strong enough to resist her killed or imprisoned.

"Oh yes. It took quite a lot to get him to react to this," the queen said, handing him a black controller. The Master eyed it before looking up.

"What is it?"

The Queen laughed. "It's new technology, it's probably a bit confusing to someone from the country. It's a nerve disrupter."

"A what?" the Master asked, narrowing his eyes as something he refused to identify began to form an icy ball in his stomach.

"Follow," the Queen ordered once more, opening a door that led them into the Doctor's cell. His head jerked up as she entered, his eyes wide as he saw the Master.

"No, no, no, no," he said softly, his voice ragged and cracked. The Queen reached over and flicked a switch and the Doctor's voice cut off.

"He's not human, so it took a fair bit of tampering," the Queen exclaimed, giving the Doctor a sharp, calculating look. "Still, we've managed. It directly intercepts and changes the signals out of the brain. I could make him blind, if I wanted to. To get the information we want about where he comes from has been more... difficult than in the past."

"Oh?" the Master asked, keeping his voice carefully emotionless.

"He has a much stronger will than anyone I've ever encountered. The levels of pain he can endure is quite... miraculous."

"The levels of pain..." the Master repeated quietly.

"Let me show you. We'll give him his voice back, just in case he decides to cooperate," the Quene decided and once again manipulated the controller.

The Doctor had been warily eyeing the Master, but the moment the Queen reached for the advice once more his eyes became wild and afraid, a new combination.

"No, please-!" the Doctor began as soon as his voice returned and the Master's eyes widened, because the Doctor never begged quite like that, and the Queen activated the device.

The Master realized why the Doctor's voice seemed tired when the Doctor arched off the bed, screaming. He seemed to be having a seizure, thrashing around as much as his bounds would allow. Over the Doctor's screams the Queen calmly continued her explanation.

"We can make the nerve endings react without ever actually touching him. A neural receptor is in the collar, the rest is simply electronic impulses. His body is literally reacting to wounds and injuries he is not actually receiving."

"Such as?"

"It appears to be burning alive with a bit of flaying," the Queen observed before turning it off once more. "As you can see, it's incredibly painful. It's to his credit he hasn't broken yet and hasn't told us a word."

"Yes, he was always stubborn like that," the Master acknowledged, plastering an innocent grin on his face when the Queen turned sharply.

"What did you say?" the Queen asked, frowning when the Master drew his laser screwdriver out of his pocket. "What is that?"

"It's my laser screwdriver," the Master replied, applying it to the device. At the familiar sound, the Doctor's eyes opened, though they were unfocused.

"They don't have that technology in the country," the Queen hissed, suspicion darkening her eyes.

"Probably not," the Master agreed. "But they do where I come from. Where we come from."

"You're not the specialist I sent for."

"No. But I am with the man you've been torturing, and, unfortunately for you, I am very clever." The Master grinned and activated the device. The Queen's eyes bulged out as she began to scream and the Master waited a bit before turning it off.

"If you're going to run about messing with people's brainwaves, it's not very smart to attach a mental broadcaster to your head. Far too easy to change make the signal latch onto your headdress instead of your collar," the Master said, bending over her with a hard smirk as she looked up at him with terrified eyes. "You know, I've tortured him and I've never gotten these results before."

"What?" the Queen asked, her voice hoarse and she flinched with each breath.

"Few years ago, I had him prisoner. I had a friend of his, too. That man was special because he couldn't die. No, that's a lie. He died, then came back to life. For a year, I took this friend and came up with new ways to make people die," the Master said, grinning as he held up the transmitter once more. "Let's see if I remember anything remarkably spectacular."

Over the Queen's screams, the Master became aware of someone calling his name.

"Master," the Doctor called from the table, weakly but firmly. "Stop."

The Master shook his head but switched off the machine after using it to make the Queen unconscious.

"I don't even get to have fun when they deserve it," the Master complained as he undid the Doctor's restraints. The Doctor didn't do anymore than stare at him, and the Master turned away to locate his suit coat and jacket. The Master had to help the Doctor out of the castle, one arm firmly around his waist and another on his laser screwdriver, eliminating any guards who tried to stop them. The Doctor all but collapsed in front of the TARDIS, and the Master had to drag him inside before piloting away.

He sat the Doctor on the seat in front of the console and they stared at each other before the Doctor dropped his head into his hands. For a long moment, the Master looked away.

Eventually, he placed his hands on the Doctor's shoulders and squeezed. The Doctor leaned into the touch and lifted up his face.

The Master was frowning at the tight look on his face and pale cheeks and almost missed the Doctor's almost inaudible whisper.

"Thank you."


End file.
